Warner Bros. first began releasing animated shorts in the “Looney Tunes” franchise in the 1930s. Since then, the franchise has evolved, adding new characters and going from animated shorts to TV series to feature films.

“The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie” surprised me. I expected yet another big screen misuse of the animated Warner Bros. characters I’ve loved since I was a kid. Outside of 2003′s “Looney Tunes: Back in Action,” and 1988′s “Who Framed Roger Rabbit,” movies featuring Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Porky Pig have not done them justice.

CEO David Zaslav has made since taking leadership of the studio, his seemingly apparent disdain for the Looney Tunes might be the most infuriating. One only needs to look at his cancellation of the already-completed Coyote vs.

In every way, The Day the Earth Blew Up pays homage to and follows in the tradition of the classic Looney Tunes cartoons preceding it. Now, if only Ketchup Entertainment could rescue the apparently stranded Coyote vs. Acme.

This grave injustice has been remedied. While far from being a classic, “The Day the Earth Blew Up” is a charming and often invigorating reimagining of key Looney Tunes characters (Daffy Duck and Porky Pig), with a look and sound that links it to past versions without feeling indebted to them.

This animated movie with Porky Pig and Daffy Duck puts its classic characters through a depressingly witless and vulgar adventure.

The voice of Daffy Duck and Porky Pig and the director of the new film "The Day the Earth Blew Up" talk about the creation of the movie and their inspiration.

The Day the Earth Blew Up is part pop culture parody, part acknowledgement that there’s always been horror in Looney Tunes